UMaine awarded surprisingly small share of $26 million floating offshore wind program funding

The U.S. Department of Energy has announced $26 million in funding for 13 projects as part of the Aerodynamic Turbines, Lighter and Afloat, with Nautical Technologies and Integrated Servo-control (ATLANTIS) program. These teams will develop new technologies for floating, offshore wind turbines (FOWTs) using the discipline of control co-design (CCD). Maine's share is $1.4 million, a surprisingly small piece given Maine has prided itself as the U.S. leader in floating offshore wind.

Department of Energy Announces $26 Million for Offshore Wind Energy

THE INTERIOR DEPARTMENT’S Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, or BOEM, the agency that issues permits for offshore wind projects in federal waters, has called a timeout on the rapidly expanding offshore wind industry in the US. The bureaucratic delay poses an unwelcome challenge for the Vineyard Wind project, the wider offshore wind industry, and states depending on offshore wind to address the threat of climate change. The delay also invites an important question: What is the most rational, far-reaching approach to develop the massive source of renewable energy off New England’s coast and beyond?

Massachusetts and other northeastern states plan to rely on offshore wind to meet most of their renewable power objectives in the next decade. The development of up to 30,000 megawatts (enough to provide power to more than 15 million homes) in the Atlantic will require the largest expansion of the North American transmission grid in decades. At this scale, this new development of electric transmission is infrastructure, similar in scope and size to highways and bridges.

As infrastructure, such a large project must be carefully planned. Connecting offshore power projects to onshore connection points will entail laying thousands of miles of cables undersea and underground. This will disrupt the fishing industry, impact coastal towns, and affect sensitive environmental areas. A great effort is required to avoid, minimize, and mitigate adverse impacts and fairly compensate those affected.

If this massive project is undertaken properly, however, it will allow the northeastern states to reduce or even eliminate their dependence on fossil fuels for electricity generation. If done right, the northeastern states can also become the technological vanguard of ocean energy development and head off risks that could stifle offshore wind. If done right, a well-planned ocean grid can make it easier and cheaper for generators to connect to collector stations in the ocean, a model that in Europe has led to subsidy-free bids for renewable energy, instead of the long-term, fixed-price contracts that are being issued by the states now.

Massachusetts led the effort to get large-scale offshore wind projects started. On May 23, 2018, Vineyard Wind was selected by the Baker administration and state utilities to build an 800-megawatt offshore wind farm off the southern coast of Martha’s Vineyard. In 2018 Rhode Island and Connecticut additionally committed to purchase 704 megawatts of offshore wind from waters south of Martha’s Vineyard. On June 21, 2019, New Jersey announced the winner of an 1,100 megawatt solicitation. And on July 18, 2019, New York announced two winners of its first two wind procurements, one for 816 megawatts and another for 880 megawatts.

These initial offshore procurements made it appear that offshore wind was taking off in the Northeast. Then in August came the BOEM announcement that: “Comments received from stakeholders and cooperating agencies requested a more robust cumulative analysis.”

‘Vineyard Wind limbo is chance for reset

Federal timeout on offshore wind could last a long time

This piece by Edward Krapels should mention his company Anbaric has $multi-billions billions at stake in transmission work. Ed laments what is effectively an offshore wind energy moratorium called by US DOI BOEM.

Audrey Ziedman, NY former top energy regulator appointed by Cuomo, was

Anbaric Transmission- (this article contributor with $billions in transmission work at stake):

“But the lesson learned is that you need to do the transmission first,” Conant said.

“Early on in Germany, the delays caused costly headaches. Developers cite that as a reason to have control over transmission, but it’s only part of the story, the beginning,” agreed Knobloch. “The Danes and the Germans quickly moved to planning transmission before soliciting offshore wind generation.”

Edgartown Conservation Commission denied Vineyard Wind. It’s a travesty that a Super Permit by EFSB can overrule the local board charged with cable oversight and authority. ECC concerns are valid and must be addressed to avoid advancing a public safety hazard & failing cables and an ecological disaster.

https://The Fishermen's Meeting - Edgartown - 6.27.19

DeepWater Wind “very expensive” cable failure cost will be borne by ratepayers. But, what about safety of mariners?

“Dangers of Renewable Energy Structures & Cables to Fishing

Renewable Energy Structures and Subsea Cables are a hazard and fishing over them should be avoided at all times...”

Experts’ Source on cable hazards-

March 21, 2019

Offshore Construction Associates (OCA) has won a contract to provide installation management services for the Vineyard Wind offshore wind project in Massachusetts, U.S.

Hannah Pingree on the Maine expedited wind law

Hannah Pingree - Director of Maine's Office of Innovation and the Future

"Once the committee passed the wind energy bill on to the full House and Senate, lawmakers there didn’t even debate it. They passed it unanimously and with no discussion. House Majority Leader Hannah Pingree, a Democrat from North Haven, says legislators probably didn’t know how many turbines would be constructed in Maine."

Maine Center For Public Interest Reporting – Three Part Series: A CRITICAL LOOK AT MAINE’S WIND ACT

******** IF LINKS BELOW DON'T WORK, GOOGLE THEM*********

(excerpts) From Part 1 – On Maine’s Wind Law “Once the committee passed the wind energy bill on to the full House and Senate, lawmakers there didn’t even debate it. They passed it unanimously and with no discussion. House Majority Leader Hannah Pingree, a Democrat from North Haven, says legislators probably didn’t know how many turbines would be constructed in Maine if the law’s goals were met." . – Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting, August 2010 https://www.pinetreewatchdog.org/wind-power-bandwagon-hits-bumps-in-the-road-3/From Part 2 – On Wind and Oil Yet using wind energy doesn’t lower dependence on imported foreign oil. That’s because the majority of imported oil in Maine is used for heating and transportation. And switching our dependence from foreign oil to Maine-produced electricity isn’t likely to happen very soon, says Bartlett. “Right now, people can’t switch to electric cars and heating – if they did, we’d be in trouble.” So was one of the fundamental premises of the task force false, or at least misleading?" https://www.pinetreewatchdog.org/wind-swept-task-force-set-the-rules/From Part 3 – On Wind-Required New Transmission Lines Finally, the building of enormous, high-voltage transmission lines that the regional electricity system operator says are required to move substantial amounts of wind power to markets south of Maine was never even discussed by the task force – an omission that Mills said will come to haunt the state.“If you try to put 2,500 or 3,000 megawatts in northern or eastern Maine – oh, my god, try to build the transmission!” said Mills. “It’s not just the towers, it’s the lines – that’s when I begin to think that the goal is a little farfetched.” https://www.pinetreewatchdog.org/flaws-in-bill-like-skating-with-dull-skates/

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